UMaine gets special designation from Department of Energy

Updated 6:04 pm, Saturday, December 2, 2017

ORONO, Maine (AP) — A new designation for the University of Maine includes $25 million in funding over five years from the Department of Energy.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an independent, announced this week that the federal agency has identified UMaine as Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership. The idea is to advance low-cost, efficient technologies.

The DOE program has helped many Maine businesses save on energy costs.

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King hosted an event last month at the Robbins Lumber sawmill in Searsmont to discuss how combined heat and power programs and microgrid technology can support rural industries and communities.

Robbins Lumber is building a facility that will generate electricity and thermal energy from wood waste produced from regional logging operations and sawmills.